CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Hospitals across Northeast Ohio have invested millions of dollars to solve hunger. They have partnered with the City of Cleveland and Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

Santosha Johnson is grateful for their work, thanks to a free grocery store in Cleveland’s North-Shore Collinwood neighborhood, she can easily put food on the table for her six kids.

That store is located at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank on Waterloo Rd.

“I was glad and proud of the services. With the way the economy is, the food prices are high. I’ve been struggling some,” said Johnson.

Free neighborhood grocery stores are popping up across Northeast Ohio. It’s changing people’s lives mentally, physically, and emotionally.

“We’ve gotten an overwhelmingly positive response from the neighbors that we are serving,” said Jessica Morgan with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

University Hospitals have been putting free food markets on the map as well. It’s giving people in need access and education to healthy foods.

“We know that these efforts to help educate our patients about why proper nutrition is good for health is really important. Now we have some research to also back that up that is showing that participants in our market actually have improved outcomes in decreases in diabetes, blood pressure and weight,” said Celina Cunanan, the Chief Adversity and Belonging Officer at University Hospitals.

In 2024 University Hospitals will open up additional markets in Lake County and Richmond Heights. Over the next five years the hospital system will donate a total of $18 million to address hunger.

The Cleveland Clinic also announced they will be contributing $10.5 million towards addressing hunger in Northeast Ohio.

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